Settler’s Cottage at Herdsman Lake: A Window into Churchlands’ Past

Tucked away on Pearson Street, less than a kilometre from Churchlands Green, stands Settler’s Cottage - the last intact survivor of forty timber cottages built as part of a government land scheme between 1930 and 1931. Today, it is a quiet reminder of an era defined by hardship, resilience, and community spirit, offering locals and visitors a glimpse into what life was like on the edge of Herdsman Lake during the Depression years.

Early History of Herdsman Lake

Long before European settlement, the Aboriginal name for Herdsman Lake was Ngoogenboro. Early settlers referred to the area as the Great Lakes District, recognising the chain of wetlands stretching across Perth’s north and west.

Herdsman Lake before development. Photo credit: National Trust of Australia

In the 19th century, much of the land around Herdsman was held by the Catholic Church, with various attempts made to harness the swampy region for farming. Flooding during winter made this extremely difficult, and development only gathered momentum after World War I, when land subdivision schemes were introduced. In 1931, Lot 54 on the lake’s south-west side was opened for settlement, paving the way for families such as the Hatchers to arrive.

Map of Herdsman Lake in 1950 showing Lot 54 (orange arrow) and the current Churchlands Green site (green arrow). Photo credit: State Library of Western Australia.

Building and Architecture

Settler’s Cottage was constructed under the Workers’ Homes Board, using a standard Type 7 design. It consisted of four interconnecting rooms with verandahs front and back, timber framing, jarrah weatherboards, and a corrugated iron roof.

Workers' Homes Board Country Cottage on which the Settler's Cottage was based. Photo credit: National Trust of Australia

Like many cottages of its time, it lacked a bathroom and laundry. Families often enclosed verandahs with hessian or corn sacks to create additional rooms, making the most of every available space. Despite its simplicity, the cottage was a lifeline for families trying to establish themselves in the region.

Life at Herdsman Lake

Life for settlers was physically demanding and often precarious. Homes were basic, and all family members contributed to daily chores. Washing required lighting the outdoor copper, boiling water, scrubbing, and rinsing — a full day’s labour in itself. Electricity reached some homes later, but in the 1930s most lived without the convenience of modern gadgets.

Clothing was plain and practical, often recycled or handed down. Coats and trousers were unpicked and re-sewn inside out to extend their use, while women’s stockings were cut and reshaped into vests for children. Some men waterproofed their clothes by painting them with mixtures to help them withstand the weather.

The back verandah with clothes washing equipment. Photo credit: National Trust of Australia

Despite the hardships, there was time for leisure. Families gathered to play cards, read, or sew. The wireless radio became a popular source of entertainment, broadcasting music, cricket matches, and the latest exploits of sporting hero Don Bradman.

Children enjoyed football and cricket, canoeing on the lake, flying homemade kites, and even keeping silkworms.

The Hatcher Family

Perhaps the best-known occupants of Settler’s Cottage were the Hatcher family. Frederick John Hatcher, born in Guernsey, emigrated to Australia around 1910 and served in World War I at Gallipoli and the Somme. Injured in battle and suffering shell shock, he struggled to find stable work after the war.

In 1923 he married Grace Welsh, and together they had four children. During the Depression, they purchased a seven-acre lot at Herdsman Lake with hopes of becoming self-sufficient. The land, however, proved unforgiving. Crops failed, flooding was relentless, and Frederick’s health suffered. Grace eventually left in 1941, taking the children with her, while Frederick remained in the cottage until his death in 1960.

Fredrick, Harold, Verna, and Newton. Photo credit: National Trust of Australia

It was then purchased by brothers Giovanni and Angelo Gava, who established market gardens elsewhere on the lake. It remained in the Gava family until 1991, when it was purchased by the state government.

The Hatchers’ story mirrors that of many families in the district — hopeful beginnings tested by harsh conditions, with resilience as the only constant.

The Herdsman Lake Community

Neighbours around Herdsman Lake lived much the same way. Families planted crops such as sweet potatoes, cabbages, swedes, and pumpkins. They kept cows, chickens, and ducks, relying heavily on milk, cream, and eggs. Cows often became bogged in the swampy ground, sometimes requiring ropes - and many hands - to be rescued.

Furniture was simple and often homemade. Flour bags were stitched into clothing, newspapers lined cupboards, and nothing went to waste. Children, despite their daily chores of wood-collecting or tending animals, remembered their years fondly, recalling games of cricket, canoeing, and building cubbies in the bushland.

The Wider World of the 1930s

Life at Herdsman Lake was shaped not only by local struggles but also by the wider challenges of the 1930s. The Great Depression saw unemployment soar, forcing many to rely on soup kitchens or government relief work such as planting trees and repairing roads.

In Western Australia, trolley buses were introduced in Perth, new airlines began flying north and south, and major events marked the decade: the discovery of the Golden Eagle gold nugget in 1931, the building of London Court in 1937, and the declaration of war in 1939.

A settler's family on their way to Herdsman Lake. Photo credit: National Trust of Australia

Prominent figures of the period included May Holman, the first Labor woman in Australia to achieve parliamentary status, and James Mitchell, Premier of WA, whose ambitious land settlement schemes had a lasting - if mixed - impact.

Decline, Restoration, and Preservation

As Perth grew after World War II, Herdsman Lake’s rural identity faded. Suburban sprawl encroached, and government reports in the 1950s recommended setting aside parts of the lake for recreation and conservation.

Settler's Cottage before restoration. Photo credit: National Trust of Australia

In the decades that followed, dredging and subdivision reshaped the area, but concern for its heritage grew. Due to the widening of Pearson Street, Settlers Cottage was relocated 75 metres east in 1995. At this time, it was placed on the state government's permanent Register of Heritage Places. It has been under the care of the The National Trust of Western Australia since 1997.

Today’s Significance

Settler’s Cottage now serves as an educational site, regularly visited by schools, tourists, and locals alike. It is valued not for luxury or grandeur, but for what it represents: the persistence of families who lived through an era of hardship, and the dramatic contrast between their way of life and the convenience of modern suburban living.

As the only surviving cottage of its kind, it stands as a living reminder of the Churchlands and Herdsman Lake community’s history - a place where resilience, resourcefulness, and the determination to build a life against the odds were etched into the landscape.

Settlers Cottage in 2024.

The contrast between the agricultural allotments with their basic timber cottages and the present residential developments in Churchlands (particularly Churchlands Green) is quite remarkable.

Today the cottage is home to Settlers Art Studios under a lease arrangement with the National Trust.

An art exhibition at Settler's Cottage in 2024.